Twelve Days of Percy Jackson
by Daughter of Hypnos
Summary: 12 fanfictions for the 12 days before Christmas. 12 different pairings, 12 different promps, and twelve different days. All pairings were voted on by my tumblr followers. T for some swearing. THERE WILL BE SLASH! DEAL WITH IT! Day 5: Charlena
1. Chapter 1

**Day One of 12 Days of PJO** **For each pairing I have come up with a one-word promp that inspired the story. At the beginning I will give the pairing, the prompt, and the time period and relationship status. ** **Also, for the 12 days there will be 7 answers and 1 story, keeping the 8 posts a day. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have the ask opened again for the week before it closes for Christmas. ** **Also, this is the last thing I promise, I just wanted to send my condolences to the victims of the shooting and their families.** **Pairing: TravisXKatie** **Prompt: Christmas Prank** **Time Period: Christmas after MoA** **Relationship Status: Pre-relationship (stick around for some relationship in a few more days ;) ) **

"So why do we always pull pranks on the Demeter cabin?"

"Easy target."

"The only thing that you like easy are your girls."

"I do not!"

"So you admit you like a challenge, like a certain daughter of Demeter."

"I am going to make you eat this tree."

Travis adjusted his grip on one of the many pine trees they had stolen from some guy selling them down the road from camp. Stupid Connor and his stupid theories about stupid feelings for some stupid girl.

Who cared if he liked her any way? She didn't like him and that was that. He wasn't going to make her date him. "Lets just get this done." He told Connor.

"So you can get her attention?" Connor asked, poking his head around his side of the tree and rising his eyebrows up and down.

"No!" Travis said, looking his brother in the eye.

"Geeze no need to get defensive." Connor said, going back to his side.

"I'm not getting defensive!" He yelled.

"Shut it! We don't want to wake them up."

"Right. Okay on three…1…2…3" They dropped the tree into the right spot, made sure it was secure in the ground, then stepped back to admire they're good work.

48 full sized pine trees lined the permitter of the Demeter cabin, leaving no room to get out unless they pushed through some thick branches.

"Ready for phase two?" Connor asked.

"I was born ready." Travis pulled out a hidden box of lights, ornaments, and tinsel from under a bush. "Let's do this!"

They put the different Christmas balls and tinsel all over the trees, making them trees worthy of the North Pole, in Travis's opinion. Then they wrapped the one continuous string of lights around all the trees, effectively tying them together. Then (because he lost the game of Rock Paper Scissors) Connor climbed under the trees and did the same to the inside.

"3… 2…" Connor said before pugging in the lights and getting ready to run, "1!" He quickly made it under the trees and they ran away as they heard the Demeter cabin groan and get up.

They had been "hiding" on the beach for ten minutes, sharing in the victory, when they heard the voice of the devil herself.

"Stolls!" Shit.

"Katie my love," Travis said, standing up trying to look cool. "What brings you out here at this time of night? Especially in… those." He gestured up and down to her Cookie monster pajamas and pigtail braids.

"I am going to drown you two." She said curtly. Travis felt a shiver down his back.

"You wouldn't hurt us kitty-cat." Travis teased. Katie's already dark expression darkened.

"If you do not move those trees by morning…" She said through clenched teeth.

"You'll what?" Travis egged her on. He turned to look back at Connor who had, intelligently, run away.

Katie lunged at him and tackled him to the ground. "I'm so sick of you and your stupid brother Stoll!"

I should be scared, he thought, but there is a girl on top of me. Sure she is hitting me repeatedly, but an insanely beautiful girl is on top of me.

"You know if you do kill me," He started. She paused for just a second. "I just wanted to let you know that you're the most beautiful girl at camp. You know, in the middle of no where farm girl sort of way." Adding that last bit hadn't been one of his smarter ideas.

It took three days to wash all the sand out of his mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

Day 2 of PJO Prompt: Snowed In **Pairing: Lazel** **Time Period: A few years after the Giant War** **Relationship Status: In a relationship, living together. **

They hated the cold. _Hated_. But her art career and his engineering career were pretty much based in New York City. It wasn't all bad, they didn't need a car, they were close to camp and their friends. It was just so damn cold.

It was actually pretty bearable, it was just something they could complain about together. New York in the winter was basically going straight from one heated building to the next.

Unfortunately, snow likes to screw things up and knock out the power in their apartment building.

Then it got cold quick.

They cuddled close to each other on the small love seat under the comforter from their bed. Leo was like a human space heater, but he could still tell Hazel was cold.

"Haze," He said, and she looked up at him, "you still cold?"

"No, I just don't like being in the cold dark." She said. This probably brings back some memories of Alaska or being dead, Leo thought. Fortunately, he knew just what to do.

He pulled his arm out from under the blanket and opened his palm. Flames danced around on it, and their light shone and reflected in Hazels eyes, making them look orange.

Even though the little fire didn't give too much light, it was enough for Leo to see Hazel smiling as she snuggled closer to him. This time it wasn't because she was cold.


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 3 of 12 Day of PJO** **Sorry I forgot to post this yesterday.** **Prompt: Christmas Specials ** **Pairing: Percy/Nico Slash and Non-Percabeth pairing Warning** **Time Period: After Giant War, living together** **Relationship Status: dating**

Percy sat down next to Nico, blue tree-shaped cookie in hand.

"If you're going to eat six cookies every night before Christmas you aren't going to fit into your pants by New Years." Nico told him, slumping down and trying in vain to block out what ever annoying song those weird claymation reindeer were singing.

"Would you still love me if I was chubby?" Percy teased.

"You know I would. But I don't think I'll still love you if you make me watch another stupid movie." Nico threatened.

"You don't like Christmas movies?" Percy asked, acting shocked.

"Perce, we go through this every year. You know I hate them."

"Sarcasm. I know you hate them, that's what makes watching them all the more fun." Percy smirked.

"I hate you." Nico mumbled trying to sink further.

"No you don't."

"I do right now."

"You know what?" Percy said. Nico looked up from his corner. "You're like the Grinch. You hate Christmas."

"I don't hate Christmas, I just hate the movies." Nico defended.

"And the music." Percy pointed out, pointing his cookie at Nico.

"That too." Nico agreed quickly. He swore the reason suicide rates went up during this time was the music. It's like Jingle Bell Rock killed people.

"Stop being such a humbug." Percy told him.

"Do you even know what that is?"

"Someone who hates Christmas?" Percy guessed. Nico rolled his eyes. "Come on," Percy slid over to Nico and shook him a bit, "get into the Christmas spirit!"

"I am in the Christmas spirit! I just don't care about birds who can't fly!" Nico said, shoving Percy off him.

"Nope, you're not in the Christmas spirit."

"I am."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yeah."

"No."

"I'm not arguing this." Nico said giving up and getting up off the couch.

Percy pouted. "Nico, come on." Percy tried to coax him back. "Come back." Nico just kept walking and went into their bedroom and closed the door.

Percy slumped down into the couch. Great, I screwed things up, he thought.

He didn't get much time to think anything else before Nico came back wearing Percy's Santa hat. "Is this enough "Christmas Spirit" for you?" Nico asked, trying to get his hair out of his face. His long, dark hair had been displaced by the ridiculous hat and was dangling in front of his eyes.

"It's perfect." Percy said pulling his boyfriend closer. Percy kissed him lightly and then changed the channel. He had never really been a Rudolph fan anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

Day 4 of 12 Days of PJO Prompt: Family Pairing: Travis+Connor (also CrissXClarisse because they're my OTP and they didn't get voted in, TravisXKatie, and ConnorXLou Ellen) Time Period: Future, married with kids. Relationship: Platonic (Stolls)

The snow was coming down hard in the little suburb just out side of New York City that Travis and Katie lived it. It was their year to host Christmas, and so far, both Stoll families and the Rodriguez's had been enjoying themselves.

Chris was in the kitchen grabbing a few beers for him and Connor when Clarisse marched in, holding their six-month old son, Hunter. She looked angrier than normal.

"Who let your bothers reproduce?" She demanded.

Chris shrugged, "I don't know, but I have a vendetta against them." he joked. He liked Travis and Connor's kids, they were two funny little boys that were really good at getting into trouble. They were too much like their fathers if you asked Clarisse.

Clarisse's expression just darkened. "Do you know what happens when a daughter of Hecate has a kid with a son of Hermes? You get a mischievous, magical, two year old."

"What did Johnny do to bother you?" Chris asked, not concerned at all. It was nearly nine and they had been at Travis's house all day. It would have surprised him if she wasn't like this at this point.

He wasn't, however, expecting her to rip the hat Hunter was wearing to revile a plume of hot pink hair.

Chris took a deep breath and said, "I'm sure Lou will be able to fix it."

"Chris, you brother's demon baby just bewitched your sons head."

"So? Johnny's a little kid, the spell can't be harmful. Just calm down." He put a hand on her shoulder, and he felt her relax a little. She put the hat back on Hunter's head.

"Where's Katherine?" She asked, glancing around looking for their five year old daughter.

"I thought she was with you."

"She said she was going with you." Katherine, to the annoyance of her parents, was good at running away.

"Die alien scum!" A nurf bullet wizzed past their head and stuck onto the fridge. And other one followed before they heard the sound of small feet running away.

"Found her." Chris smiled. He grabbed three beers and the two of them walked back into the living room.

They sat down on the couch next to Katie watching a Christmas Story.

"Where is Lou?" Clarisse asked Katie.

"I don't know, but her and Travis have been gone too long for comfort." She shrugged.

"Where is Connor?" Chris asked holding up the beer.

"He got dragged into the zombie-alien-vampire apocalypse." Katie said without taking her eyes off the TV. Christ nodded.

"I see, it's a noble cause I guess."

Suddenly Lou flopped down on the couch, looking exhausted. "Given up on the zombie alien vampires?" Clarisse asked.

"No I was abducted and turned, so they had to kill me." She said gravely.

"Okay, so since that's over can you change Hunter's hair back." Clarisse said taking the hat off.

Lou struggled to suppress a laugh. "Did Johnny do that?" Clarisse nodded, obviously annoyed. Lou nearly beamed with pride for her son. "Don't worry, it's a simple spell. There probably won't be any side effects except possible permanent brain damage."

"What?!"

"I'm kidding, the worst that could happen is some thinning hair, but it'll grow back." She waved her hand over the baby's head and the pink was turned back to its original dark brown. "There you go." Lou smiled.

For the first time in hours, Clarisse looked content. She leaned back and cradled Hunter, trying to coax him to sleep.

Hunter was almost asleep when Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-dumb came bursting in shooting Nurf guns at each other. Hunter's cries went unnoticed by the two brothers as they stumbled out the front door, yelling things at each other.

"You've changed man! I have to do it!" Connor yelled through the snow, which was coming down hard and fast. He wasn't wearing more than some dumb Christmas sweater, jeans, and socks. Travis was the same, but neither seemed to care. The two brothers just kept shooting bullets at each other until Travis ran out.

Defeated, he fell to his knees. Connor walked over to him and, through the snow, aimed his gun at Travis's head and took the shot. Travis's body slumped to the ground.

He got up seconds later, realizing for the first time that he was freezing cold.

It was a race back inside.

The two brothers spent the night sitting wrapped in blankets in front of the fire trying to get warm. They spent the next week in the hospital with pneumonia. They still thought it was worth it. It was probably the best Nerf battle they ever had.


	5. Chapter 5

"Silena come on! We're going to be late. We don't want my mom hanging around your dad for too long with wine, you know how she gets!" Beckendorf yelled through the bathroom door to his girlfriend.

"Just one more minute!" She called back.

He sighed and sat on the bed they shared in their apartment. He took some spare wires off the night stand and started fiddling. He ended up with a cookie-cutter shaped Christmas tree. I bet I could make it light up if I could find the— his thoughts were cut off by Silena opening the bathroom door to revile a modest, deep-red Christmas dress. The collar and long sleeves covered everything up top and the dress fell just below her knees, but Beckendorf didn't think she needed to be showy to be beautiful.

"You look —" He started, but her smile faded.

"I don't want to be rude, but I have a picture of you from last Christmas wearing the same sweater." She said. Beckendorf looked down at his sweater. It was red with little white reindeer across the top. It obviously wasn't the most attractive thing, but she didn't say anything last year.

"It's my Christmas sweater." He defended, sounding a little saddened.

"Charlie," She said walking over to sit next to him on the bed, "this is the first holiday with my father. Don't you want to make a good impression?"

"Yes, but why does my sweater matter? I've met him before and I wear much worse cloths when I go out with you." He pointed out.

"That's because I want you to be comfortable and I know that you get dirty easily, but tonight is different. Can you please just try and find something else? For me." She bat her big blue eyes at him, which was much more effective than any charmspeak.

"Fine, but only because I love you." He stood up and walked to his dresser. Silena turned around to watch him.

He dug through some drawers and pulled out a wrinkled ball of what he was pretty sure was a shirt. He took the sweater off and out the white shirt on, buttoning it up as he turned around to face her.

"Better, but you should iron it." She said.

"Could you do it?" he asked.

"Why? Just because I'm a woman who likes wearing dresses and make up doesn't mean I'm going to play to any other gender stereotypes."

He laughed. "No, I can't iron."

She looked at him quizzically (at least the mystery of why he never had pressed cloths was solved.) "You can get into NYU on a full scholarship but you don't know how to iron?"

Beckendorf suddenly felt pretty stupid and he felt his face get warm. "Yeah, so?"

Silena immediately felt bad about teasing him and got up off the bed. "You know," she said bending over to pick the sweater up off the floor, "it's actually pretty cute. Why don't you put it back on." She smiled at him and handed the sweater back to him. He leaned down to kiss her, lifting her up off the ground to meet her lips. He swung her around for good measure than dropped her on the bed, while she was laughing.

Beckendorf pulled the sweater on. "Come on, gorgeous." He called walking out the door. She ran after him, not caring that her hair was definitely messed up now.


	6. Chapter 6

THE FIRST NIGHT

_"My beating heart belongs to you/I walked for miles 'til I found you/I'm here to honor you/If I lose everything in the fire/I'm sending all my love to you" Last Night on Earth, Green Day_

It should be easy, shouldn't it? I mean it was Piper! His best friend, they told each other everything, there were never any secrets. Until about maybe a year ago… or five. He couldn't help it, look at her! She's the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. And she was so nice, and she obviously cared for him so much, how could he not fall for her.

Just lean over and tell her. Just… just… crap! Come on you can do this! He yelled at himself in his head. His apartment was small but there was always room for Piper.

They were sitting close together on his couch drinking hot chocolate, even though she argued it was too early for it. It was just Halloween, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, blah, blah, blah. Leo didn't care. It was cold and Hot Chocolate was, well, hot.

Having a hot drink in his hand wasn't the best thing to be holding when Piper dropped the bomb. There was no warning at all. There was no "Leo, I need to talk to you about something important" or any "I think I'm going to" it was just BAM!

"Leo, I'm joining the Peace Corps."

He thought he was going to throw up.

After taking a minute to find his voice he finally said: "When are you leaving?"

"I got my letter yesterday, I leave right after Christmas." She said it as if she had won the lottery, he heard it as if she had said "I have terminal cancer."

"How long are you going to be gone." His voice cracked on the last part and Piper's face fell. She put her mug on the table and leaned over to give him a hug, but he shrugged her off.

"Why didn't tell me you were thinking about joining?" Leo asked, staring down at the marshmallows floating in his drink.

"You would've tried to stop me."

"You're damn right I would! How can you just leave me like this?" He yelled. She got up off the couch, getting ready to leave. She made up her mind and she didn't need him to tell her what to do or not do.

"You're being selfish! This is what I want!" Leo stood up too.

"No! You think that if you go and help some poor people in a third world country it will make you feel better about letting Jason die!" As soon as he said it, he knew he shouldn't have. "Pip—" He was cut off by her hand slapping him hard across the face, followed by a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

"Don't you DARE talk about him!" He didn't see her walk out, there was chocolate obscuring his vision but the slamming of the door was deafening.

He couldn't get burned but, damn, that hot chocolate felt like a third degree burn.

THE FIRST AFTERNOON

_"I'm trying, I'm trying/To let you know just how much you mean to me/And after all the things we put each other through and/I would drive on to the end with you/A liquor store or two keeps the gas tank full/And I feel like there's nothing left to do/But prove myself to you and we'll keep it running" Demolition Lovers, My Chemical Romance_

Leo stood outside of her apartment door a few days later, holding chocolates even though they would be useless. It was worth a shot. He knocked on the door and waited. She opened it, saw him, and tried to shut it again, but he jammed his foot in the door before she could.

"What do you want?" She demanded. She hadn't seen her look that angry in years. She was seriously scary.

"To apologize, I didn't mean to say what I said I just—" I just didn't want you to leave because I'm in love with you and I can't have you leave I'm so close to telling you, please just listen to me.

"I don't care. Now if you'll excuse me I need to pack." Why don't you just take out your dagger and stab me? Leo thought. She tried to close the door again but Leo didn't move.

"I acted irrationally angry and said a lot of things I shouldn't have said, but can I please just come in and talk to you."

Piper's face softened and she opened the door. "You have ten minutes, Valdez."

He apologized for ten minutes straight. He told her he didn't want her to go, but it was her choice and that he would miss her but he hoped she would be happy. Finally, he asked "How long will you be gone?"

"Twenty seven month." Leo almost cried. Twenty-seven? As in more than two years? That twenty seven? "But I mean, there are going to be ways for me to communicate to back home, so I'll be able to keep in touch with you. Just try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone, okay?"

You need to tell her. You need to tell her now. Tell her you idiot!

He didn't tell her. He gave her a hug, wished her luck and left her to pack.

THE SECOND NIGHT

_"She's not my girlfriend, /She's just a friend who's a girl, /She's my buddy, she's my best mate, /And she rocks my world, /I wanna tell her, but I just can't find the time, /Or find the words, /Oh, for God's sake, kiss the girl." Kiss the Girl Chameleon Circuit _

In the month before Piper left, they had spent almost every available moment with each other. And now, after a month of being together, they were going to spend twenty-seven apart. They walked into the airport, Piper's flight was scheduled to leave at nine. Leo thought she looked adorable holding her pillow and wearing her ducky pajama pants.

When she was about to leave him and go through security, as far as Leo could go, she turned to him. "Well, I have to go now." She looked sad, but not the kind of sad that made him think she had any second thoughts about what she was doing.

"Piper…" This is your last chance, idiot. Come on, you can go to MIT full scholar ship and fight an army of mountain-throwing giants, but you can't just man up and say "Piper, before you go I want you to know that I'm in love with you and have been for the last five years and I really don't want you to get on that plane without knowing that."

Piper dropped her stuff on the floor and moved forward to kiss Leo.

Leo nearly caught fire, but he managed to kiss her back. It didn't last nearly long enough.

"I love you too," Leo thought she was going to cry, "but there is a plane waiting for me and I'm getting on it. Will you wait for me?"

"McLean, I've waited for you for five years, I can wait another two." She gave him another small smile and hugged him again. "Here's looking at you, kid." Leo whispered. He knew Casa Blanca was her (secret) favorite movie, and that had just about done it. Piper let out a sob on Leo's shoulder and he was pretty sure he was crying too, but his face was so hot the tears evaporated right away.

She pulled away, whipped her face and picked her stuff back up. "I need to go." Piper said, putting on a brave face.

Leo waved to her as she went through the metal detector and finally disappeared behind all the security. It was the last time he would see her in person for over two years.

THE SECOND AFTERNOON

_"I don't ever want to let you down/I don't ever want to leave this town/'Cause after all/This city never sleeps at night/It's time to begin, isn't it?/I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit/I'm just the same as I was/Now don't you understand/That I'm never changing who I am" It's Time, Imagine Dragons _

"Yeah I just landed."

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry I couldn't be there, but the driver is going to take you straight to the set to see me, okay?"

"Okay dad, I'll see you soon." Piper hung up her phone. LAX was buzzing with people and she had never felt more overwhelmed. There wasn't much technology in the small African village she had spent the last two years in and all the lights were suddenly making her dizzy.

Piper made her way to the baggage claim and found her suitcase, then started scouring the area for her ride.

She finally found the man she was looking for. "McLean", his sign read. His sunglasses and hat covered most of his face, but she would know those curls anywhere.

Piper ran towards him, jumping on him so quickly Leo lost his balance and tumbled to the floor. Piper suddenly didn't care about the fact that she was straddling her boyfriend in the middle of LAX on the dirty floor, all she cared about was that she was with her boyfriend. She leaned down and kissed him. Their relationship was so developed emotionally, but this was only their second kiss. Piper didn't want it to end.

Unfortunately, people were staring and her bags were at risk of being stolen, so she got off Leo.

It took them two hours to get out of the airport garage.

It was worth the looks from Piper's dad when they showed up way later than he expected.


	7. Chapter 7

Day 7 12 Days of Percy Jackson Pairing: Leason (SLASH WARNING) Prompt: Santa Clause Time Period: After the war Relationship Status: Married

"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!" Leo finished, putting the book on Mikey's night stand. Mikey had been living with them for four months, and this was their first Christmas together. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, he could easily pass for Jason's real son. The two of them knew from the moment the decided to get married that they wanted to take in foster kids; they knew how hard their lives could be.

Jason and Leo got up to leave when Mikey called to them, "Daddy?" (he only started calling them that last month.)

"Yeah?" They turned around and said in perfect unison.

"Is Santa really gonna come?" He asked, his blue eyes wide and watery. Jason walked back over to him and sat on his bed, Leo followed.

"I don't know, have you been a good boy?" Jason asked, tousling Mikey's hair.

"I think so, but every time I think I've been good, Santa doesn't come." He said dejected. Leo and Jason exchanged glances.

"Maybe this year, he will." Leo said, kissing the top of Mikey's head. He and Jason got up and turned off the lights. "Merry Christmas, buddy."

Mikey couldn't sleep. He was too nervous and excited at the same time. Finally, he threw his covers back and ran down stairs. The clock on the TV said it was past midnight and there still weren't any presents under the tree. He frowned and decided that he was going to wait there all night if he had to. He took a seat on the couch and stared at the fireplace waiting.

* * *

Jason and Leo crept down stairs at five am to put the presents under the tree, keeping quiet to make sure they didn't wake up Mikey. They were shocked to find him sleeping on the couch downstairs.

They smiled and gave each other a look. They knew what they had to do.

Mikey woke up the smell of waffles. The first thing he noticed was that it was morning and there were presents under the tree. "I missed him!" He cried.

Jason and Leo turned around from the kitchen. "We came downstairs this morning and saw you sleeping there." Leo said.

"He didn't miss you though, buddy." Jason pointed to Mikey. Mikey suddenly noticed a blanket that hadn't been on him when he fell asleep and a note, written in very swirly handwriting. He was only in kindergarten so he needed some help reading it.

_"Dear Mikey,_

_Sorry I've missed you the last few years, I hope this makes up for it. You've been a very good boy this year._

_-Mr. C" _

"He came! He really came!" Mikey yelled before running over to rip into his presents.

Leo smiled as he watched him tear open his first gift, a Hess truck. Jason walked over and put his arm around Leo.

"When should we tell him?" Jason asked.

"Later tonight, it can be his last present."

"Think he'll like it?"

"Not nearly as much as that truck." Leo laughed.

* * *

Mikey knocked on the door of Percy and Annabeth's house, hoping someone other than his dads would open it. he got his wish, though Aunt Piper almost blew it.

"Mi—" she started. He put his finger to her lips, shushing her. He pulled her outside. He gave her his jacket and then started.

"I'm home." He said simply.

"You're home. For the holidays?" She asked. He had come home for a few days the last few years, but he always had to go back; it was his duty, Jason and Leo knew that.

"To stay, my enlistment's up." He smiled wide. His time in the Air Force, although terrifying, filled him with pride. But he was glad to come home. Aunt Piper thew her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "I need to ask you something."

"What?" She said, she was smiling ear to ear.

"My dads don't know I'm home, and I want to surprise them." Twenty years ago, they had been Mikey's last gift, now he wanted to be theirs.

Piper slipped off his jacket and handed it back to him. "I can arrange that." She winked.

They both walked inside and Mikey waited, out of sight, in the hall way. He could hear his Aunt Piper talking to his dads. "Jason and Leo, you guys have one more present."

That was his cue, he guessed, and he walked slowly into the dining room. His dads shot up out of their seats and ran to hug him. It took all of Mikey's strength not to be pushed over, but once he got his balance, he hugged them back like it had been nearly a year since he'd seen him las. Well, it had been. Everyone at the table clapped and welcomed him back, and when his dads finally pulled away, he saw a few tears in their eyes, the same as every other Christmas.

"You're back." Leo said.

"For good." Mikey told them. "My enlistments up, I'm home to stay." The cycle of cheering and hugging repeated. There were so many emotions flowing through him, he couldn't help it and stared crying. That made his dads cry, which lead to everyone crying at least a little. It felt so good to finally be home with his family. Percy opened the bottle of Champaign they had been planning on saving until New Years and poured Mikey a glass.

Mikey raised the glass and yelled: "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"


End file.
